This is the jaw-dropping moment two angry hippos battled it out over a female mate.
The two enormous creatures, which can weigh up to 400 stone, thrashed around in the Mara River and attempted to bite one another as they engaged in a ferocious fight. They were spotted by photographer Ingo Gerlach, 66, who was visiting Kenya from his native Germany and sat on the river bank having his lunch on August 21.
Whipping out his camera he took a series of snaps as the beasts continued to grapple with one another for at least 10 minutes. Eventually the intruder admitted defeat and left the hippo pool with a bloody snout.
Mr Gerlach said: ‘In the river there are always hippos in the so called ‘hippopool’. For days it was always very peaceful in the river at this place but that day a foreign hippopotamus bull wanted to visit his secretly adored lady of his heart. The owner of the house did not like this at all so the two bulls attacked each other after some threatening gestures. During the fight of the bulls the beloved watched -after about ten minutes the show was over. The intruder left the opponent’s territory hastily and with a bleeding nose.’
Hippos are considered one of the most deadly animals in the world. Their sharp teeth and immense weight can prove fatal for anyone who get caught in their path. The large mammals kill an estimated 500 people in Africa every year.
Video: Annoyed hippo charges into car at Kruger National Park
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